Already , the return of the former EA Sports BIG franchise provides a markedly different experience to the flagship FIFA series.
The full game will apparently feature 300 kilometers of road (despite the trailers repeatedly saying it's a "3,000 mile race" from San Francisco to New York). Today, we got to see another level from the game set in a snowy pass that seemed suspiciously prone to avalanches. Gameplay unfolded in a very similar manner to Split/Second and Motorstorm Apocalypse, with environmental disasters making the going very difficult. The game's very obviously based on the Hot Pursuit mechanics, however, as even the screen layout is almost identical.
BioWare had plenty to talk about. Firstly, they told everyone how pleased they were about Dragon Age Legends being available on Google's new social network, Google+. Then they revealed the . And then they showed some gameplay from The Old Republic.
The Old Republic's cinematic trailers certainly looked great, but we've still seen a lot more of them than we have actual gameplay. BioWare treated us to two scenes today -- a story scene, which featured the Mass Effect conversation wheel, and a live demo of an endgame raid, or "operation" as they're called. The combat in the raid looked disappointingly similar to every other MMO out there at the moment, but we'll have to reserve judgement until the game's actually with us.
Let's not be too negative, though, because then they showed Mass Effect 3, which is looking wonderful. Of particular note was a combat scene that appeared to include dynamic events -- one point saw Liara picked up by a giant mechanical enemy, for example, rather than just batted aside to take damage. Notably, though, after , it's still ManShep who's front and center in the demos.
This was one of the titles that promised to "revolutionize" social play with "innovative" new features. Read more about it .
Because it wouldn't be EA without an attempt to force Origin on us, EA also revealed that those who preorder the game through Origin.com will get an "exclusive" gear pack for their boarders.
This game, which looks and sounds like a cross between Fable and an Elder Scrolls game with a touch of World of Warcraft to its aesthetic, is looking promising. Featuring contributions from R.A. Salvatore and Todd McFarlane, the game certainly has excellent creative credentials behind it.
Upcoming MMO from Funcom, published by EA, casts players in the role of Illuminati, Dragons or Templars. The three factions are engaged in a secret war to gain control of various legendary locations, but also have to team up to battle against creatures born from superstition and conspiracy. The game does not feature character classes or levels, instead offering 500 skills to acquire and use. Beta signups for the game start on August 26.
Another "revolutionary" title, FIFA 12 features three new mechanics that most people probably won't even notice: precision dribbling, the "player impact engine" (allowing realistic comedy pileups of people if you play it correctly) and "tactical defending." The game will also introduce EA's Football Club in-game social network, which will also appear in FIFA Street. The demo will be out on September 13, the game will release on September 27 and EA Season Ticket holders will be able to play it three days early.
The big new thing the team showed off this time was a cooperative level that featured a "spotting" mechanic similar to Portal 2's ability to point things out to your partner. They also showed a 64 player multiplayer game in full swing, and revealed that jet fighters were making a triumphant return to the series.
All in all, there weren't that many surprises from EA's conference -- and some of those "revolutionary" and "innovative" things aren't quite as special as they made out. EA's looking set to have a good year, though, and the battle between Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3 will certainly be interesting.
This article originally appeared on GamePro.com as